Blog Stats

Signs that the human capital marketplace has become a sellers' market continue to show up on our radar. Today, from Ellen Stuhlman of ExecuNet, we hear the following:

"ExecuNet's April Recruiter Confidence Index (RCI) hugged its all-time high, demonstrating that recruiters remain optimistic that job growth will accelerate during the next six months. According to the survey of 249 executive recruiters, 79% are confident or very confident that the executive employment market will improve during the next six months . . ."

Please note that this rosy report comes from the "executive" job segment. If we're to believe the statistics, the US has lost nearly 3 million manufacturing jobs since 2001. And immigration turmoil that we are now experiencing is largely a job-related issue. What we can expect to see as we move deeper into the century is a very different America than the one we inherited from the WWII generation. Stay tuned.

Here at Online Conversion & Beyond, we're always trolling for good statistics, particularly those that tell a story. From Bambi Francisco's Net Sense (Citysearch touts human relations - May 16, 2006)we get an interesting perspective on why Citysearch has continued to prosper for 10 years, despite improvements in search technology and competitors like Ask.com.

The answer - according to CEO Briggs Ferguson, is that Citysearch is a content site, not a search engine. Solid reviews of restaurants and events (created by an editorial staff of 100, and those wonderful consumers with an itch to produce content) have produced excellent results. In fact, "according to Scott Morrow, Citysearch executive vice president of search and products . . . 16% of the clicks convert into an offline local transaction."

Not a bad result, eh? We've got clients who would kill for results like that (or even half). How about you?

Typically, we've stayed out of political debates on this blog. There are more than enough participants in the various issue-driven discussions that crowd the blogosphere. Even when there appeared to be an issue where taking a "stand" might have been expected (e.g. armed forces recruiting) we've preferred to remain neutral, focused on finding solutions for problems rather than celebrating them!

Today, we'd like to deviate significantly from the past, and point out an issue on which no one in this sector can remain "neutral." Strangely enough, the issue is none other than "net neutrality." Well summarized in a May 2, 2006 article by Reuters' Kristin Roberts, here's the bottom line on the "net neutrality" debate:

"Broadband providers such as AT&T Inc., BellSouth Corp. and Verizon Communications want to expand from flat pricing and also sell tiers of service based on the speed, reliability and security of the bandwidth used.

While those providers have said they would not block access to the open Internet, companies that use the Internet to sell products or services want Congress to adopt stricter safeguards to ensure they are not pushed into a slower lane of the Internet if they do not pay more for dedicated network service."

What's disturbing about Robert's article, entitled US Finance Sector Puts Web Pricing in Cross Hairs is that even people as astute as the financial services community are just waking up to the costs that could be imposed if recently proposed legislation (supporting a less-than-neutral Internet) makes it through Congress. In fact, as Robert's implies, the FS people may be too late to make anything happen at this stage. Instead, they may fight it out (for their own interests . . . not yours or mine) in

Don't miss the opportunity to be heard. The impact of new costs (imposed by carriers) on net proceeds even WITH good conversion rates could be significant for many of us. For more information on what you can do, check out Save the Internet.com. And contact your elected representatives today!

Last Friday I had the opportunity to facilitate a series of breakout sessions at a large group meeting held at the Roxbury Center for the Arts - Hibernian Hall near Dudley Square. The purpose of the community-wide meeting, entitled "Food in the Hub: A Summit on Access to Affordable Healthy Food in Boston," was to bring together key stakeholders from health care, food supply services (farmers, restaurants, grocers), policy (government, non-profits, etc.) and the community to address an interrelated set of problems linked to economically-driven, nutritionally misdirected food selection.

Simply stated, much of our national obesity problem (which late-night talk show hosts like Jay Leno poke fun at non-stop) may be linked . . . not to a lack of self-control (the implication) . . . but the sincere desire of low-income meal preparers to make sure "no one leaves the table hungry." Eating healthy is expensive . . . so expensive that eating the "right things" may simply be out of reach for low-income households.

What we learned that day certainly helped convert our thinking on this topic, and hopefully reached others who have the means and connections to make a difference. We wish both the participants and the sponsors all the best, and hope that our work will help them, at least a little bit, as they work to achieve their important goals.

Wish We'd Said It First

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity.